Weather

Temps vary across the Heartland; rains still linger over parts of the eastern Corn Belt

Across the Corn Belt, showers are ending across the Ohio Valley and lower Great Lakes region, following weekend rainfall that provided some drought relief but also resulted in localized flooding.  Officially, Chicago received 3.35 inches of rain on July 2, with 4.68 inches reported at Midway Airport.  Farther south, producers continue to assess damage to crops and farm infrastructure related to the June 29 derecho, which swept across northern Missouri, southern Iowa, central Illinois, and central and southern Indiana. 

On the Plains, warm, mostly dry weather prevails.  Monday’s high temperatures will top 90°F as far north as central South Dakota.  Meanwhile, cooler air is arriving across Montana and North Dakota, accompanied by an increase in shower activity.  The rain should benefit spring-sown small grains, especially in drier areas of the northern Plains. 

In the South, hot, humid weather lingers in the southern Atlantic States and along the Gulf Coast.  Farther inland, showers are providing limited relief from the recent hot spell, which increased stress on corn and other reproductive summer crops.  Monday’s high temperatures will mostly range from 90 to 100°F, down slightly from peak levels. 

In the West, a hot spell continues west of the Rockies, although temperatures across the northern two-thirds of the region have fallen from lofty weekend levels.  In the Desert Southwest, however, pre-monsoon heat will push Monday’s maximum temperatures to 110°F or higher at most low-elevation sites.  Meanwhile in the Northwest, dry weather favors winter wheat maturation but is resulting in variable stress on rain-fed summer crops, including barley and spring wheat.